Nov 28, 2023 05:30AM
To date, large fossil-fuel power plants have maintained the stability of the United States power grid in times of power fluctuations and outages.
A study in the journal Nature reports the discovery of a wooden structure dating back 476,000 years near Kalambo Falls, in Zambia.
California is the first state to ban the sale of four food additives linked to potential health issues even though they are permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers identified the first nonhuman animal mother to use baby talk with their young.
The experts say that reducing emissions won’t be enough to reach international goals for limiting global warming. It will require the removal of billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year.
Oct 31, 2023 08:30AM
The G20 announcement has sparked discussions on the feasibility and implications of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
Ecuador's Nacional cacao bean was a world-renowned delicacy until a blight and witches’ broom disease eradicated most trees in the early 1900s.
According to a report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world's oceans are being stripped of sand at a massive rate, with more than 6 billion tons extracted annually.
Researchers have been exploring sustainable alternatives for electronic materials due to the increasing generation of electronic waste.
Air pollution is not only harmful to human health, but it can also contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Sep 29, 2023 08:30AM
In a landmark climate case in Montana, a group of young people has emerged victorious. The judge ruled in Held v. Montana that the state's failure to consider climate change when approving fossil fuel projects was unconstitutional.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the education sector, bringing unprecedented opportunities for personalized learning experiences and teaching assistance.
According to a new analysis from the journal Nature Communications, the Atlantic Ocean’s sensitive circulation system has become slower and less resilient.
Magpies and crows in Scotland, Holland and Belgium are using metal spikes—originally intended to deter bird perching—to build their nests.
A study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters shows that the pumping of groundwater impacts the tilt of Earth’s rotation and further exacerbates climate change.
Aug 31, 2023 08:30AM
Researchers from Japan and Germany are developing eco-friendly light devices that use a single layer of organic film mixed with light-emitting materials and an electrolyte.
Every day, hummingbirds must drink nearly their body weight in nectar to survive. Most hover above their food by beating their wings up to 80 times a second and inserting their beaks into the tubes of flowers.
As temperatures rise due to global warming, scientists are worried about how extreme heat may impact heart health.
In Sanskrit, Ayurveda translates to “the science of everyday living,” and it is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine.
Space-based solar power (SBSP) is the concept of collecting solar energy during a space orbit and beaming it safely to a fixed point on Earth.
Jul 31, 2023 08:30AM
The Dead Sea is one of the most unique bodies of water in the world. It is the lowest spot on Earth and home to rich, therapeutic minerals.
Biologists have discovered more than 5,000 new species of marine life in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), an untouched seabed in the Pacific Ocean spanning nearly 2 million square miles between Hawaii and Mexico.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases of a climate pattern across the tropical Pacific.
Pavegen's sidewalks are made of tile-like triangular platforms. When someone steps on a tile, a flywheel is activated to spin extremely fast, generating power that is sent to and stored in a battery.
Green America is encouraging and training people to plant “climate victory gardens” to restore soil health and draw down carbon as a way to help solve the climate crisis.
Jun 30, 2023 08:30AM
Nearly half of the world’s population is without access to the internet. Dell Technologies, in partnership with Computer Aid International, is addressing the gap for people that might benefit the most.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C., “Lights Out” exhibit is helping people understand that light pollution is a global problem with broad impact.
In April 2023, President Biden signed an executive order to expand the administration’s goals to address persistent environmental injustices involving toxic pollution, underinvestment in infrastructure and services and other harms due to a legacy of racial discrimination.
Colombia has the most bird species in the world—1,966 registered species, or 20 percent of all birds worldwide—and has updated its strategy for protecting this rich avian life.
The oceans, sometimes called the lungs of the Earth, have absorbed 30 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since the Industrial Revolution and captured 90 percent of the related excess heat.
May 31, 2023 08:30AM
Most mesh tea bags are made of 20 to 30 percent plastic, which can release microplastics and nanoplastics, causing harmful effects for both human health and the environment.
A group of leading technology executives, researchers, academics and others from around the world have signed an open letter prepared by the Future of Life Institute calling for a six-month pause on large, human-competitive artificial intelligence experiments.
New research published in the journal Nature has found dramatic changes in the composition of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean since 2007 caused by climate change.
A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Stanford University are using artificial intelligence (AI) to decode human brain scans and determine what a person is picturing in their mind.
Apr 28, 2023 08:30AM
Scientists have developed a water-activated, disposable, paper battery, according to a proof-of-concept study published in Scientific Reports.
Roughly measuring the size of Florida, the Thwaites Glacier is one of the most rapidly melting ice formations in Antarctica, having retreated more than eight miles since the 1990s.
A shift away from fossil fuels and an increase in agricultural demand will cause the demand for sulfuric acid to increase considerably from 246 to 400 million metric tons by 2040.
According to unpublished research by the U.S. Forest Service reported by Columbia Insight, fir trees in Oregon and Washington died in record-breaking numbers in 2022.
In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Honda is experimenting with the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii class of algae they have nicknamed “Dreamo."
Mar 31, 2023 08:30AM
There are approximately 6 million non-native, feral pigs in the United States that are destroying crops, native animals and pose risks of giving diseases to humans.
A new study published in Environmental Science & Technology finds that gas stoves frequently leak dangerous pollutants into the kitchen.
Two London-based roboticists, Mirko Kovac and Robert Stuart-Smith, have developed new technology that mimics the way bees work together to build a structure.
A Swedish battery manufacturer, Northvolt, in partnership with Stora Enso, one of the largest private forest owners in the world, has developed a battery for electric vehicles.
Rapid ocean warming and other effects caused by climate change have stressed and degraded corals around the globe, and scientists have been studying ways to rebuild, manage and conserve these vital ecosystems.
Feb 27, 2023 08:30AM
Wind turbines provide one of the cleanest sources of energy; the power they produce is free, helping us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
At the end of 2022, an extraordinary whale named Moon made the 3,100-mile journey from British Columbia to Hawaii with a broken back.
For centuries, brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata) has been used to make the finest bows for classical stringed instruments due to its unmatched ability to project sound.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more than 100 U.S. crops depend on pollination by honeybees and other insects.
Scientists have warned for years that as forests and grasslands are disappearing at unprecedented rates and oceans are pressured by pollution, humans are pushing Earth beyond tenable limits.
Jan 31, 2023 08:30AM
Climate change has spurred researchers and companies to develop fuels with zero carbon emissions.
Dispersed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the hawksbill sea turtle helps maintain high coral cover on reefs by removing invasive prey.
The World Economic Forum estimates that about 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced globally each year and that 98 percent of single-use plastic products are made from fossil fuels.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
In a groundbreaking decision, world governments have awarded increased protections to 54 species of sharks at the 19th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The United Nations designated 2021 to 2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.
Dec 30, 2022 08:30AM
Scientists are amplifying the natural sounds of the sea via underwater speakers to induce baby oysters to swim toward desirable locations for regrowing oyster reefs.
A study suggests that while mechanical devices like Seabin do remove plastics and other items of marine litter, the quantities can be comparatively low and they may trap marine organisms.
Liquid helium, a nonrenewable element found deep underground, is needed to operate the magnets in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, and supplies are becoming harder to find.
Agrivoltaics, the emerging practice of integrating solar installations with working farmland, can reduce emissions, save water and possibly even boost crop yields.
A $1 billion effort to electrify school buses will provide renewable fuel vehicles for around 400 school districts, including Indigenous tribal lands, Puerto Rico and American Samoa.
When an earthquake occurs, it sends seismic P waves through the ground that a Google app called MyShake can detect with a network of 1,300 U.S. Geological Survey sensors.
Nov 30, 2022 08:30AM
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that average global wind speeds could drop by up to 10 percent by 2100.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide pumped into a mature forest at levels predicted to be the norm by 2050 will cause trees to produce more and longer roots, thus absorbing and storing more carbon.
The demand for power to charge electric vehicles (EVs) could burden the electric grid in western states at peak times by up to 25 percent if most charging is done at night.
A legally autonomous black gum tree named Terra0 on the campus of the Community College of Allegheny County owns itself and perhaps even the few square feet of land it grows on.
With the passage of a recent law, California will be the fifth state, along with Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Vermont, to allow human composting, beginning in 2027.
One pound of sulfur hexafluoride, an electrical insulator, heats the planet as much as 25,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and remains in the atmosphere for 3,200 years.
Oct 31, 2022 08:30AM
Google has taken a key driver of global warming out of the carbon calculator embedded in the company’s Google Flights search tool, making journeys appear less impactful on the environment.
20 states have passed bills to exempt chemical recycling facilities from waste management requirements, despite evidence that most facilities actually incinerate the plastic they receive.
Scientists have produced good-quality concrete in which all of the aggregate has been replaced with tire particles.
A new study shows that urban gardens and hydroponics can thrive and may exceed the yields of rural farms.
Facing threats from invasive pests, climate change and habitat loss, up to 135 tree species—about one-sixth of those found in the continental U.S.—could be lost forever.
Applied on top of existing asphalt pavement, cool pavement road treatment reflects heat, which is especially needed in heat island areas.
Sep 30, 2022 08:30AM
With almost 20 percent of sequoias destroyed by wildfire in the last two years, the U.S. Forest Service is speeding efforts to protect the giant ancient trees.
The World Weather Network is an international coalition of 28 arts organizations that believe artists and writers should be a larger part of the dialogue surrounding climate change.
Scientists have created a membrane using sunflower and peanut oilseed meal that shows potential as a cheap, sustainable and scalable method to decontaminate heavy metals from water.
The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes the migratory monarch butterfly.
Large mammals are important ecosystem engineers, shaping natural processes and sequestering carbon, and scientists are planning to reintroduce these animals to the wild.
Aug 31, 2022 08:30AM
The 2022 theme of the United Nations-sanctioned International Day of Peace, or World Peace Day, is “End racism. Build peace.”
Seattle City Light is installing electric vehicle chargers on utility poles as part of a transition to zero-emission electric transportation options.
Researchers studied the design of restaurant menus and how adding carbon labels indicating the greenhouse gas emissions per dish affected the choices people might make when dining out.
A rooftop solar array and solar panels on the sides will adorn an eight-story high-rise planned for West Melbourne, Australia, to provide the office building with most of its power.
Atlantic hurricanes pose risks to renewable energy wind turbines, and researchers are developing more resilient models inspired by palm trees.
The Western bumble bee, once easily spotted in California, could not be found in a recent survey led by the University of California-Riverside.
When pathogens in buried poop from campers and hikers leach into the soil, they can spread into waterways or become integrated into an ecosystem.
Jul 29, 2022 08:30AM
A recent report finds that environmental certification programs claiming to verify the sustainability of fashion brands facilitate “greenwashing” for the apparel industry.
Rural outmigration is leaving cropland abandoned, affording an opportunity for ecological restoration and carbon sequestration that could lead to a positive impact on the climate crisis.
Jul 29, 2022 08:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy
The Mata Atlantica is fighting for its life against overdevelopment, where deforestation surged 66 percent last year.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues called on governments, courts and UN agencies to implement mechanisms to support and protect Indigenous peoples’ lands and lives.
Cigarette butts are the most common source of plastic pollution in the global environment, surpassing bottles, plastic bags and food wrappers.
To better track the location and movement of marine fish in U.S. waters, The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is using a new interactive website.
Jun 30, 2022 08:30AM
Researchers examined medical databases and ethnic medical books to discover which diabetes medicines were effective in ancient indigenous medical systems.
Research has found that significant knowledge gaps make it hard to predict the scale of the potential effect of mining the ocean floor.
North America hosts about 3 billion fewer birds today than in 1970. The causes include light pollution, climate change, vanishing habitat and pesticides.
A new survey shows that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals, suggesting that speciesism is learned as we become socialized.
On April 1, Tokyu Railways trains running through Shibuya and other stations were switched to power generated only by renewable sources.
Researchers have discovered that hemp plants can successfully suck per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), "forever chemicals," out of contaminated soil via phytoremediation.
Researchers have discovered that air pollutants can confuse pollinators that use odors to navigate and move around and communicate.
May 31, 2022 08:30AM
The National Park Service (NPS) has cracked down on some recreational activities to better manage the human impact on natural environments.
To both conserve water and generate clean energy, solar arrays are being installed over canals in the Turlock Irrigation District to evaluate their impact on water quality and evaporation.
